The present invention relates to synthesize medical image data, and more particularly, to synthesizing virtual high dose or high kV computed tomography images from low dose or low kV computed tomography images.
Computed tomography (CT) combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside the body. The cross-sectional images, or slices, can be combined to reconstruct 3D CT volumes. CT scans can be used to visualize nearly all parts of the body and are used to diagnose disease or injury as well as to plan medical, surgical or radiation treatment. For example, CT scans can be used to diagnose muscle and bone disorders such as bone tumors and fractures, to determine the location of tumors, infections, or blood clots in a patient's body, to guide procedures such as surgery, biopsy, and radiation therapy, to detect and monitor diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart disease, lung nodules, and liver masses, to monitor the effectiveness of disease treatments, and to detect internal injuries and internal bleeding.
During a CT scan a patient is exposed to ionizing radiation. Reducing the dose of radiation to which a patient is exposed in a CT scan is highly desirable. However, high dose CT scans typically produce high quality CT images, and there is a tradeoff between the reducing the radiation dose level of a CT scan and the image quality of the CT images resulting from the scan. Another parameter that affects the quality of CT scans is the tube potential (kV) of the x-ray tube used to acquire the CT images. Low kV CT scans are typically preferred because lower kV values can result in higher attenuation values and image contrast and can also result in a decrease in radiation dose. However, low kV CT scans result in an increase in image noise as compared to high kV CT scans.